GIRLS STATE TRACK PREVIEW: St. Charles North senior suffers shin splints, to compete in triple jump

Published: Thursday, May 16, 2013 5:35 a.m. CDT

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(Sandy Bressner - sbressner@shawmedia.com)

St. Charles North senior Kaylee Raucci works on a drill during practice at the school Monday afternoon. Raucci will compete in the triple jump at this weekend’s IHSA Girls State Track and Field Championships in Charleston.

St. Charles North senior Kaylee Raucci aspires to study kinesiology at Wisconsin-Whitewater beginning next school year.

She is not out to diagnose her recurring shin splints. The field simply fascinates her.

In the past few weeks, Raucci has compiled her own research on the ins and outs of human movement. It’s a simple lesson, and one she hopes will boost her to a medal in the triple jump at this weekend’s 3A state meet in Charleston:

Removing yourself from many events to save yourself for one recharges the battery.

“Now the shins feel good,” Raucci said. “They don’t hurt. So it definitely helped getting that state qualifying for this one.”

In no particular order, Raucci also competed in the long jump, 300-meter hurdles, 100 and 200 during her North career, as well as running as part of the 4x100 and 4x200 relays.

Her versatility added up to competitive invitational meet scores for the North Stars, which was by design.

Once the postseason approached, however, the strategy shifted to sending Raucci downstate for the second successive spring in the best shape possible.

“We were wanting her prepared and totally focused on the triple jump,” North Stars coach John Osmanski said. “Going into sectionals, we knew that was her best shot and we wanted her 100 percent focused on it, and it worked.”

Raucci finished second at last week’s West Aurora Sectional, clearing 35 feet, 9.75 inches – nearly four inches better than the state qualifying standard.

While North Stars freshman Hannah Schilb edged her mentor for the sectional title with a jump of 36-0.75, both athletes talk openly about a friendly rivalry.

So what if Raucci took up track as a seventh grader at Haines Middle School and Schilb is new to triple jumping this season? They’re on the same team and constantly talking technique.

“She’s a great supporter and she made it with me, and so we’re going to go down to state together,” Schilb said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun, I think. It’ll be a good experience for me to experience it with her.”

Raucci registered a state preliminary jump of 35-0.25 as a junior. The 12th and final athlete to advance to the Saturday finals cleared 36-10.

Rested and conditioned from a recent slate of low-impact workouts – including elliptical training and biking – Raucci is eager to make a healthy move up the standings.

Considering the absence of shin pain, which had been nagging her since the end of indoor season, she likes her chances.

Wisconsin-Whitewater coach Mike Johnson has targeted Raucci as a decathlete next season, bringing a return to busier days for the NCAA Division III Warhawks.

“We’ll see how that goes,” Raucci said. “He said if I’m pretty strong in one thing and not so strong in one that it will compensate for it, so that will be pretty good.”

For now, though, she only has tunnel vision for the triple jump pit.

“I actually have a goal in mind. I’ve been there before, I know,” Raucci said. “So it’s like I’ll just see what I can do now. Hopefully it’ll be better than [last season].”